Residents of the Pennsylvania town where alleged killer Luigi Mangione was arrested are tired of talking about him as he returns to court today for an extradition hearing.
The 26-year-old was taken into custody after being recognized by one of the employees at a McDonald’s in Altoona on December 9.
He has since been held at the State Correctional Institution Huntingdon and has been charged in New York City with the murder of UnitedHealthCare CEO Brian Thompson in midtown Manhattan.
As hundreds of protesters flood the streets of Hollidaysburg in support of the “people’s hero,” lOcals around Altoona are praying he returns to New York.
Brian Detwiler, owner of Mansion Donut Company in downtown Altoona, said he is “ready to move on” and doesn’t think the Ivy League graduate should be hailed as a hero.
‘It was a big deal that he was here. If you look online, people are divided on whether they think he is a hero or a murderer.
“I understand, but there’s a right way to express your frustration, and take someone else’s life, right,” he said annoyingly. The state.
Bill Herr, who works at Triangle Barbershop on 12th Avenue, further added that he is now suffering from “Mangione Fatigue” and simply said, “I’m just tired of talking about it.”
Residents of the Pennsylvania town where alleged murderer Luigi Mangione was arrested are tired of talking about him as he returns to court today for an extradition hearing
Mangione was escorted out of court by NYPD officers, who are expected to fly him to New York
Some residents have also expressed disgust at the suspect’s rising cult status.
‘There are people online who say there should be more people like him. Come on, that’s crazy,” Stephen Powell told the outlet.
Mangione was indicted earlier this week on charges of murder as an act of terrorism, under a New York state law that allows harsher penalties when a killing is aimed at frightening citizens or influencing government.
He faced two back-to-back hearings Thursday — the first on forgery and firearms charges in Pennsylvania.
During the second hearing, Mangione waived extradition to New York on murder charges. Mangione’s lawyer previously said the alleged killer would fight the extradition.
When he arrived at the court, protesters held signs reading “Health insurance practices are terrorizing people!” and ‘Death by denial is murder!’
At least two of them were dressed as Luigi from the video game Super Mario Bros.
Several TikTok users shared on the platform that they had driven as much as six hours to attend the hearing.
Brian Detwiler, owner of Mansion Donut Company in downtown Altoona, said he is “ready to move on” from the crime and doesn’t think the Ivy League graduate should be hailed as a hero.
Bill Herr, who works at Triangle Barbershop on 12th Avenue, added that he is now suffering from “Mangione Fatigue” and simply said, “I’m just tired of talking about it.”
Protesters showed up outside the court Thursday in support of Mangione
He has been held at the state prison in Huntingdon since his arrest on December 9
Some said they even flew in from California to support the alleged killer.
If a judge approves his extradition, Mangione will be taken to New York, where he could appear in state court for arraignment Thursday afternoon or Friday.
In a court filing last week, Mangione attorney Tom Dickey argued that prosecutors had not shown there was enough evidence to hold Mangione, that he was in New York when Thompson was killed or that he is a fugitive from justice.
Mangione, of Towson, Maryland, was arrested after it was reported he matched the description of Thompson’s killer.
Thompson was shot in the street as he walked to the hotel where his Minnesota-based company was holding an investor conference.
The shooting was captured on surveillance video, but the suspect evaded police before Mangione was captured about 275 miles (446 kilometers) west of New York.
Authorities say Mangione had the gun that killed Thompson, a passport, a fake ID and about $10,000 in U.S. and foreign currency.
The 26-year-old was taken into custody after being recognized by one of the employees at a McDonald’s in Altoona on December 9.
Mangione returned to the Blair County Courthouse in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, Thursday morning
Supporters line up outside the Blair County Courthouse complex in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania
Mangione, a computer science graduate from a prominent family, carried a handwritten letter in which he called health insurers “parasitic” and complained about corporate greed, according to a law enforcement bulletin obtained last week by The Associated Press.
His attorney, Dickey, has questioned the evidence for the forgery charge and the legal basis for a firearms charge. He had previously indicated that Mangione would fight extradition to New York while in a Pennsylvania state prison.
Mangione, a computer science graduate from a prominent family, carried a handwritten letter in which he called health insurers “parasitic” and complained about corporate greed, according to a law enforcement bulletin obtained by The Associated Press last week.
Mangione had an outburst last week as he entered the courtroom, yelling at reporters for being “completely out of touch and an insult to the intelligence of the American people and their experiences!”
The outburst occurred after someone asked the Ivy League graduate if he “did it,” referring to the murder of Brian Thompson, according to the Wall Street Journal.
He also shouted “this is completely unjust and an insult to the American people” as he struggled with police officers.